Why does wet paper tear easier?

Question

I’m assuming water breaks down the cellulose or dissolves something in the paper, in that case are there other liquids that you could soak paper in that wouldn’t weaken it?

In: 5

Answer 1

It’s actually more like the water acting as a lubricant by expanding the space between the fibers in the paper. This lets the fibers slide past each other more easily. Normally the friction between the tightly packed fibers is what keeps the paper together.